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Summer break. A time to relax. A time to rejuvenate. A time to come home and find a job so that you could actually afford your next year at college.
And then you met Dean.
Frickin’ Dean Winchester. Master of seduction, stubborn as a mule, and amazingly good-looking.
You were at your local Safeway, restocking the pie filling, and you forgot your step-stool to reach the top shelf. You weren’t short, but you weren’t tall either. So you were stretching to your full length to put the blueberry filling on that stubbornly tall shelf when you lost your balance and fell. Only you didn’t fall.
Someone caught you.
Someone with short, brown hair, adorable eyes that gleamed when he smiled, and a chiseled chin lightly covered with short stubble.
“Whoa! Watch yourself there! Don’t lose the pie!”
“What do you mean don’t lose the pie?! Stupid thing almost broke my arm!” you exclaimed.
“Hey now! Don’t insult the pie! What has it ever done to you? You falling was your own damn fault, not the pie’s! Just be glad I was here to catch you,” he joked with a grin and mock annoyance. “Dean Winchester,” he finished, sticking out his hand.
You shook Dean’s hand after righting yourself. “Y/n. Hey, would you mind putting these last few cans up there? Apparently stretching isn’t good for me,” you said sarcastically, pointing at the remaining box of blueberry pie filling.
Dean chuckled. “Sure thing. As long as you can point me in the direction of the best slice of pie,” he replied with a wink.
“Um, that would be pumpkin, and I make it.”
“You make pie? I think I’m in love!” Dean said with a dramatic flair.
“Am I your Cherry Pie?” You weren’t sure why you slipped a Warrant reference in there, but apparently the flirtation worked. You could’ve sworn you saw him attempt a jump in excitement.
“Alright, calm down sir, or I’m going to have to ask you out.” Shoot. Did that slip out? You immediately blushed.
“Not if I ask you first,” he said with a wink.
Just then a giant of a man with long, brown hair came down the aisle.
“Hey Dean, which do you prefer? Wheat Thins or Triscuits?” He stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh, um, sorry to interrupt…I’ll just…go…”
Dean had his arm stretched above the two of you, putting pie filling on the top shelf. He was in such close proximity that if you leaned your head forward just a little, you’d be resting on his chest. You could smell his. Sweet, leathery, and just a tad of Old Spice.
Dean jumped back to a more socially acceptable distance when he heard his name. You tried not to groan at the loss. “Sammy! Meet y/n! Y/n, Sam, my younger brother,” Dean took both boxes of crackers and threw them in the cart that Sam had with him.
“Nice to meet you Sam,” you said as you shook his hand.
“You too, y/n. Sorry about Dean. He can be rather annoying.”
“Hey now!” Dean exclaimed.
You laughed. “It’s fine. He was helping me.” Not to mention sexy, flirty, smelled amazing…
“Dean? Helping? I wish I saw that. Doesn’t sound much like him.”
“I drive, don’t I Sam?” Dean called down the aisle. You and Sam both ignored him.
“We should probably go Dean. We need our uniforms sized.” Sam turned back to you. “Nice to meet you, again. We’re here a lot. We’ll probably run into each other more than once.”
“Looking forward to it!” you said back with a grin.
“So, pick you up at 7 tonight?”
You had totally forgotten your previous conversation with Dean before Sam showed up. “What? Yeah, sure, sounds good. Here’s my number,” you replied, fumbling for your pen, completely caught off guard. “Text me.”
You wrote your number on his hand. “I will,” said Dean, winking again. You saw Sam roll his eyes. You got the feeling Dean did this way too often. But what the hell? A date with a cute guy? Are you not supposed to have fun during your summers?
***
7:16 PM your clock read.
After a failed attempt at curling your hair you settled for straightening it. If you could get your bangs to cooperate. “Ugh!” you exclaimed as you threw the flat iron down in defeat.
You heard the sound of the TARDIS and jumped. Shaking off your temporary fright, you realized it was your phone and went to check it.
Dean- [Sorry. Running late. Be there in 5]
You- [Great. Just getting dressed. See you soon]
You sighed and tossed your phone on the bed. You weren’t angry, just didn’t like the anticipation. Digging through your closet to find something to wear you settled on jeans and a loose sweater over a cotton tank. Your phone went off again before you could get your pants on.
Dean-[Whatcha wearin’?]
You- [Right now? A bra]
Dean- [Perfect. ; ) ]
You rolled your eyes and finished getting dressed. After applying minimal make-up you went upstairs to the excited look on your mom’s face.
“What’s that look for Mom? I’m not in high school anymore. It’s not like this is my first date.”
She clicked her tongue and let out a puff of air. “Well it’s been a while since you went on a date while at home. Can’t I take a moment to appreciate my beautiful, grown-up daughter?”
“Yeah. Sure. When I’ve actually grown up. Where did I leave my purse?” You started searching the rooms upstairs.
“Over here, y/n.” You found your dad in the living room holding out your small, brown shoulder bag.
“Thanks, Pops,” You said quickly, right as there was a knock at the door. You walked over and opened it up to the sexy man from the grocery store wearing jeans and a vintage Black Sabbath t-shirt under a black and white flannel. In his hand was a single drooping dandelion. It probably came from your sidewalk.
He smiled as he handed you the “flower”. “Hey, y/n! You put clothes on!”
You opened the door wider to let him in, pointedly rolling your eyes at him. He smirked.
“And good thing, too!” you heard your father call from the living room.
You led Dean to the living room so your parents could see who you would be spending the evening with. Your mother looked him up and down then gave you an approving nod and wink. You narrowed your eyes at her and shook your head, silently telling her to keep her hands off. She sniggered.
Your dad walked over to shake Dean’s hand. “Nice to meet you Dean! Can’t say we’ve heard much. Just that you have a thing about pie?”
Dean grinned and stated, “I do love my pie. Is that all you said?” he asked, addressing you.
“Well, I did just meet you a few hours ago. Not a lot of time to learn your whole backstory.”
“Well then, I promise to tell you my backstory tonight. Now we really should get going. Sorry again about being late, but I had to find the right flower.” He threw you a sheepish grin and you fought back a smirk.
“Be safe!” your parents called as he walked you out the front door. “Use protection!”
You tried to hide your embarrassment as Dean let out a bark of laughter. You stopped dead in your tracks when you saw Dean’s car. In front of you house was a beautiful, black ’67 Chevy Impala.
“That’s yours?!” you asked, trying to mask your sudden excitement.
“Yep! Dad gave me the keys when Sam and I decided to move to Seattle. You like?”
You nodded enthusiastically as he opened your door for you. You grinned when you saw his face light up at the mention of his car.
“My grandpa works on cars a lot. I guess I picked up his love of the classics.”
Dean started the car and the radio came on.
“No way!” you exclaimed when you heard what was playing. “You listen to KZOK, too? I thought I was the only one my age that listened to that! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised after the car, but…”
“You listen to classic rock? And I thought I liked you after pie!”
“I always thought I was born in the wrong decade.” You both laughed.
For the rest of the drive you discussed your favorite artists and songs. You bashed on the modern artists of the day, claiming they didn’t understand true music. Then he started singing along with the radio. “Free Ride” by the Edgar Winters Group came on and Dean started blasting it through the speakers.
“THE MOUNTAIN IS HIGH, THE VALLEY IS LOW
AND YOU'RE CONFUSED 'BOUT WHICH WAY TO GO
SO I FLEW HERE TO GIVE YOU A HAND
AND LEAD YOU INTO THE PROMISED LAND!”
“Come on Dean! Do you know what a pitch is?” you exclaimed when you heard how off-key his singing was.
He laughed. “That’s what makes it fun! Sing with me! ‘SO COME ON AND TAKE A FREE RIDE!’”
You couldn’t help but join in, singing “‘COME ON AND TAKE IT BY MY SIDE!’”
“COME ON AND TAKE A FREE RIIIDE!!!”
You both had to break to catch your breath, but then you both continued:
“ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, I'M SEEING THE SAME
NOBODY'S WINNING, AT THIS KIND OF GAME
WE GOTTA DO BETTER, IT'S TIME TO BEGIN
YOU KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS
MUST COME FROM WITHIN!”
That song eventually ended and another came on. Then another. You were just glad you knew the lyrics to them all. You were having so much fun showing each other your bad singing abilities that you failed to notice Dean pulling the car over. You were almost to the waterfront, but Dean didn’t look happy.
“Dammit!” he exclaimed. “I just fixed it, too!”
“What happened?” you asked as Dean got out of the car and opened the hood of the Impala. You followed him out. Steam rose into his face causing Dean to cough a bit.
“There’s a stupid coolant leak and some other issues that make the engine keep over-heating. I thought I fixed them though!” He kicked the tire in frustration. “I’m really sorry about this, y/n. Best date ever, right? First I’m almost a half-hour late, and now Baby breaks down!”
“Sounds like the perfect cliché to me,” you said, laughing.
“You’re not mad?”
“Why would I be mad? This is the most fun I’ve had in months! And you’re adorable when you get frustrated.” That last part wasn’t meant to be verbalized.
“You think I’m cute? She thinks I’m cute!” he said in mock excitement.
You giggled. “Yeah, yeah. Calm down, Rudolf. I still expect you to pay for food and to hear your life’s story.”
“Right. I’ll call Sam about the car. He can figure that out. We can walk from here. You said it’s not much further, right?”
“Sounds good to me,” you replied, reaching in the car to retrieve your bag.
After a short phone call to his brother and a brief explanation about what happened, Dean took your arm and led you to the waterfront. Along the way you told each other a little about yourselves. Dean and his brother both moved to Seattle from a small town in Kansas about a year ago. He didn’t say why and you didn’t push it. Their dad owned a mechanic shop and Dean worked there through high school, all the way up until he relocated. You told him that you grew up in the area and promised to show him around sometime.
“So you seem like a smart girl. Why are you working at Safeway for minimum wage?”
“I’m on summer break from Eastern. I’m studying forensic science. Only got one more year left, so I get money where I can.”
“Forensic science? Are you, like, a lab geek then?”
“Sure, you could all me that.” You chuckled a little at that. “I’m the one you does all the DNA work and evidence processing in a crime lab. At least that’s my plan once I finish my degree.”
“Sounds…fun? Sam and I just joined the police force. Maybe one day we’ll end up working together if Sam and I ever make detective.”
“So that was the uniform you were being fitted for today! I wondered,” you said, remembering your encounter earlier that day.
“You like a man in uniform?” he teased, raising his eyebrows at you. You laughed and left the question hanging because you and Dean had reached the small restaurant that you had suggested.
It was a small seafood place on the water, privately owned by a guy named Benny who caught a lot of the fish himself. You knew this because Benny had been a childhood friend of yours who took over the joint when his father couldn’t run the place anymore. Benny came out to greet you when he happened to see you walk in.
“Y/n! It’s been too long! And who’s this?” he asked in his thick southern drawl. His family moved here from Louisiana when he was 4 and he had somehow managed to keep the accent.
“Benny! Great to see you again! This is Dean,” you said, indicating the man to your left.
“Welcome, brother! Any friend of y/n is a friend of mine! This way,” he said leading you to an empty table along the back wall overlooking the Sound. “Family special for you tonight! What can I get started for you two?”
After a delicious dinner, prepared by Benny himself, consisting of the freshest catch of the day and locally grown vegetables, the two of you walked through the market streets. You passed by the infamous gum wall and the famous Pike Place Fish market. You had to explain why is was so world famous.
“Flying…fish?” Dean asked, looking rather confused.
“Yeah! When someone orders a fish, they toss it back to be wrapped before handing it off to the customer! Large crowds gather to watch. It’s a lot of fun. I can’t believe you’ve been here a year and never heard of it before!”
“Sam and I haven’t…um…been out much. We’ve been busy with the police academy.”
“Well that’s somewhere I’ll have to take you guys sometime. At least tell me you know about the troll under the bridge?”
“Nope.”
“Tell me again why I went out with you?”
Dean gave you that bright, sparkling smile that made you melt inside. “Because I’m ‘adorable’, according to you.” You had to grin at that. It was too true.
After another hour of walking and talking you headed back to where the car was supposed to be parked. When you got there Dean remembered that it had broken down.
“Crap! I totally forgot! My car’s gone! How am I supposed to get you home? It’s too far to walk.”
“Does Sam have a car?” you asked, trying to find a solution.
“No. He and I go everywhere together.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I’m so sorry y/n. This is a disaster. I completely understand if you never want to hang out again.”
“Are you kidding? I had so much fun tonight!”
“That doesn’t help get you home though.” He looked at you, disbelieving.
“I could always call my parents,” you joked, laughing to yourself. Dean looked at you weird. It seemed as if a lightbulb went off in his head.
“What? I wasn’t serious.”
“That might be our only option. I haven’t seen any cabs around.”
You couldn’t believe it. Did you hear correctly? Making your parents come pick you up after a date? What an impression Dean must be making on our parents right now!
“Do you want me to call them? They should still be up,” you said, giving Dean an incredulous look.
“Would you? I promise to make it up to you,” he said with a shy smile.
“…I suppose,” you said with mock defiance, pulling out your phone. You called your mom. After explaining the situation 4 times because she wouldn’t stop laughing, having to go get your dad, and then making Dean tell her your location, you finally hung up and sat on a nearby bench.
Dean’s phone started ringing. He answered and you could hear Sam laughing as Dean explained your predicament. After he hung up, Dean summarized what Sam had called about.
“So the tow company has the car in their lot, waiting for me to go get it. I’ll have to fix it there tomorrow.”
“Will you need a ride?”
“Possibly.” He looked utterly defeated.
“I have tomorrow off. I could pick you up if you wanted. Saves you the cost of public transit.”
“That’d be great. Do you think you could possibly give me a lift to the auto shop, too? I know what’s wrong with the car this time.”
“Sure thing. Just call me tomorrow when you’re ready to go.”
“Thanks. You’re a life saver, y/n,” Dean said. Just then your dad pulled up to the curb. You and Dean climbed in the back.
“So, where to Dean?” your dad asked from the front seat, failing to hide the look of amusement on his face.
Dean gave him directions to his place while your father told some old dating stories from “his day” throughout the drive. You had your doubts as to whether it made Dean feel any better.
When you dropped Dean off, you walked with him up to his front door. He leaned in to give you a hug good-bye.
“Sorry again about the disaster tonight. You really do deserve better.” You smiled at him one last time as you forced yourself to pull away because he smelled so good. He turned to go inside.
“I really did have a good time, Dean. Give yourself a bit of credit. A small bit, but a bit nonetheless.” That made him grin. After he promised to call the next day, you got back in the car next to your dad and drove away.
When you finally got home you went to your room and laughed about the whole night. You felt like a mad woman when you finished. When you finally went to sleep it was the happiest you had felt in a long time. This was a day you would remember for years to come, a story that you would tell over and over again; your one (and probably only) date with Dean Winchester.